Chrysler 300 SRT 2016 Review

Chrysler 300 SRT
Road Test

Introduced to Australia in 2005, Chrysler's ultra-macho 300C sedan was an instant hit in the marketplace, especially in the mighty V8-powered SRT version. The magic remains, but in tandem with the demise of the Australian car industry, the brutal sedan's relevancy is on the decline. Part of the Chrysler's success has been in its competitive pricing. At $69,000 before ORCs – or $59,000 in entry-level Core form – the SRT is hard to beat for high-performance value.

Irreverent. Gross. Anachronistic. Irrelevant. Ugly, even.

Chrysler's 300 SRT invites scorn like an industrial electromagnet. A degree of disapprobation that, to some, is entirely appropriate, while to others it's simply missing the point.

The hulking, brutally boxy sedan could never be justified on purely planet-friendly grounds. It guzzles fuel in the manner of a Navy minesweeper and its CO2 emissions aren't exactly planet-friendly.

But to judge it this way is to do the SRT a big injustice.

As the world heads remorselessly towards more environmentally friendly times – and the fate of individuals wishing to determine their vehicle-owning destiny hangs in the balance – cars like the irreverent, gross, anachronistic, irrelevant and (to some) ugly Chrysler mark the point where more than a century of automotive evolution underwent a seismic shift.

In my view, the SRT will be remembered with more and more fondness as time goes on.

Simply, the Chrysler represents – more poignantly than some cars belonging to game-changing eras such as the post-war renaissance of the 1950s – something we'll never see again.

And it's not just to do with the surging acceleration, or the surprisingly nimble big-car handling. The SRT imposes itself, on both the driver and passengers, right from the point when the hulking, normally-aspirated 359kW/637Nm 6.4-litre pushrod V8 is fired up. Audibly declaring what's to come, it emits a sharp start-up blast that comes complements of the engine-mapping electronics.

From there, the SRT can assume either a mild or a wild character – although the engine's omnipresence and the suggestively-firm ride never leave any doubt about what's lurking behind the crisply-carved, vaguely retro lines.

Although I believe the second-generation looks have tended to dull down by comparison with the 2005 original that was inspired by the purposeful C-300 Chrysler coupe introduced in the USA in 1957. If my memory serves me correctly it was the most powerful US car you could buy off the showroom floor at the time.

Because the SRT, like all other members of the Chrysler 300 line, owes many of its suspension elements to an early-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the competence on the road leaves no grounds for complaint.

That is, for a high performance car. The SRT points with accuracy via relatively quick, three-mode "performance-tuned" electric steering (a bit light in default mode and a touch artificial in Track mode), and the firmish ride – even in the adjustable suspension's comfort mode – is pretty much what you'd expect given the car's persona and can become quite abrupt on sharp bumps.

The big 245/45-series tyres on 20-inch rims provide plenty of grip too, although it has been noted that, for racetrack situations at least, a bigger set of rear tyres would help traction out of corners.

It doesn't take much pedal pressure to have the SRT's Brembo brakes confidently hauling the SRT down from speed either except that, once again, there remains some question of how long the system can avoid fade when put to hard and repeated use on the track.

We are talking zero to 100km/h acceleration times of around five seconds, achieved with the help of a programmable launch control system that makes for a very fast large four-door sedan.

Given its head, the SRT bellows into life, making good use of its newly adopted eight-speed automatic transmission complete with its unexpectedly ergonomic rotary selector knob. It feels like anything but a pushrod V8 with the ability to rev swiftly to the 6000rpm redline (maximum power actually comes at a high 6150rpm) and winding out a thoroughly commendable 637Nm of normally aspirated torque for its 6.4-litre capacity – once again at a relatively lofty 4250rpm.

With all that, the almost two-tonne Chrysler can still be considered a luxury car. The interior is massive (to give some idea of scale, the SRT is a bigger, heavier car by all measures – except overall width – than Holden's long-wheelbase Caprice), a fact passengers are reminded of when simply reaching out to shut the doors.

The front-seats are oversized and comfortable, yet still offer sufficient side support. Equipment levels are lavish, particularly in the $69,000 (before ORCs) high-spec version driven here that gets Chrysler's 8.4-inch UConnect touchscreen with sat-nav, leather and Alcantara suede upholstery and a 900-Watt Harman Kardon 19-speaker audio, complete with subwoofer.

It's all well put together too, although you'd be deceiving yourself if you believed the quality was equivalent to a luxury European sedan.

Over the base-spec Core model ($59,000 plus ORCs) the SRT brings three-mode adaptive suspension, polished 20-inch alloy wheels, red Brembo four-piston brakes featuring slotted rotors front and rear, and Chrysler's Adaptive Cruise Control Plus with Full Stop, LaneSense Lane Departure Warning Plus, Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus, as well as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Seven airbags, including a driver's knee bag, play a role in the SRT's scoring of a five-star ANCAP rating.

In every way it's the real deal. And Chrysler's ability to keep a lid on pricing has contributed hugely to the 300C's general acceptance into the Australian market.

The final crunch was fuel economy. Coming as something of a surprise and in other ways not, the test car's fuel consumption was an unexpectedly low 10.5L/100km, or way better than the official 13.0L official figure. We can attribute that to various factors: our generally conservative driving style during a week of testing, the SRT's eight-speed auto, the V8's fuel-saving cylinder shutdown function and the fact that a lot of country kilometres were covered.

To be realistic, the SRT in a broader mix of driving conditions is rarely likely to be a ten-litre car. Previous experience has shown consumption figures reaching past 15.0L/100km, with much higher easily in sight if the driving is prolonged and spirited.

But, like we said, although that's a given with a car as big, powerful and heavy as the Chrysler SRT, it's nice to know it can actually be quite frugal if the driver is happy to resist right-foot temptations.

Irreverent. Gross. Anachronistic. Irrelevant. Ugly.

And fabulous.

2016 Chrysler 300 SRT pricing and specifications:
Price: $69,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.4-litre eight-cylinder petrol
Output: 359kW/637Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 13.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 302g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

Also consider:
>> Ford Falcon XR8 (from $55,690 plus ORCs)
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